Missing
by L33tKyuubi
Summary: When Teito goes missing, the whole church erupts. But the one who's the most upset about it won't say a thing. Does he really care for him, after all?
1. Où?

"Be careful, Rosalie!" "Yes, don't drop it!" "I've got it! Don't worry!" The three nuns walked through the vast hallways of the Barsburg Church carrying mattresses to the bishop applicant's rooms.

Somehow, there had been a shortage. They had their suspicions about where the mattresses that were already there had gone, but they decided not to investigate too far into it.

As they began their ascent into the hall, they ran into a familiar pink dragon. "Burupya!" The small fur ball squeaked sadly.

Rosalie set down her mattress gently and picked up the small creature. She cradled it in her hands, "Oh, are you looking for Teito?" The dragon squeaked happily.

Rosalie smiled, "I take that as a yes." Libelle stroked the dragon gingerly, "I thought I saw Teito out in the courtyard with Bishop Castor." She said.

Athena carefully took the small creature out of Rosalie's hands. "I'll take you to him, if that's what you want." She told the dragon. "Burupya!" The creature squeaked again.

"Do you want me to take your mattress, Sister Athena?" Rosalie asked as she nonchalantly picked up her mattress plus the one that Athena had set on the floor.

Athena giggled, "Sure Rosalie, you can put that superhuman strength of yours to use." Libelle nodded and led the way as she and Rosalie continued to ascend the stairs. Athena turned around and began her descent into the courtyard.

She sat the tiny creature atop her head. He sat patiently and quietly, anxious to see Teito once more. They reached the courtyard quickly and, to their surprise, found nobody there.

"Huh, that's odd. I could've sworn I just saw Bishop Castor and Teito here a few hours ago." She said quietly to herself.

She sat there pondering this for a few minutes, but was quickly brought back to reality by the sad whimpering coming from atop her head. She reached her hand up and pet the dragon once more, "Don't worry, we'll find him. I promise."

And with those reassuring words, the two set off again on a quest to find the missing pair.

They had been searching for what seemed to be forever until they finally ran into a familiar face. "Oh, it's you." The boy said as he approached the sister in the west tower garden.

Athena turned around and smiled, "Oh, hello Hakuren. Hey, have you seen Teito? Or Bishop Castor? They were in the courtyard just a few hours ago, but I haven't seen them since."

She figured that he of all people would probably have some idea of Teito's whereabouts, seeing as they were roommates.

Unfortunately, Hakuren shook his head, "I haven't seen them since this morning.

Although, I also saw them in the courtyard. They seemed to be training." Athena sighed, "I see." She said sadly as she retrieved the small dragon from atop her head.

The creature jumped from Athena's hands onto Hakuren's shoulders. "I guess he would much rather be with you than with me, huh?" She said awkwardly.

Hakuren gave a halfhearted smile, "I guess." He replied.

Hakuren snatched the pink creature off his shoulders and held him up to his face, "So, you're Mikage?" He asked.

The dragon squeaked happily, signaling a 'yes', Hakuren supposed.

"It really was heartbreaking." Athena's voice came out of nowhere. Hakuren turned to her, "So I've heard." He said quietly.

Hakuren allowed the creature back onto his shoulders as he stared up into the sky. The sun was setting. Brilliant rays of orange and red meshed together as they shone through the glass dome radiantly.

"Mikage's death was Teito's breaking point. After that, he was hesitant to let anyone else into his world because he feared that he would never again be able to protect the ones he loved. So he thought it best to never love again."

Hakuren's words vibrated off the millions of flowers that surrounded them.

Athena quickly broke the eerie silence that was beginning to form, "It was very kind of Bishop Frau to find Mikage's reincarnated soul and lead him back to Teito."

"To always watch over him." A new voice added.

Both turned towards the gate and saw the aforementioned bishop walking slowly towards them.

Athena cupped her hands together worriedly, "Bishop Frau, have you seen Teito? Or maybe even Bishop Castor? They were last seen in the courtyard a few hours ago. However, nobody's been able to locate them since."

Frau looked at Athena curiously, "That's odd. I was just with Castor a few minutes ago."

Athena's eyes widened, "Will you take me to him please?" Hakuren jumped in, "Me too!"

Frau's eyes darted back and forth between the two, "Jeez, I finally get a minute away from the guy and you want me to go running back to him already? You guys owe me."

He turned and motioned for the two to follow him. They complied graciously.

Somehow, they were led straight back to the courtyard.

Athena didn't bother herself with worrying about the logic of the situation, as she wasn't concerned with it at that point.

All she cared about at that moment was returning what was once lost back home. She glanced over at Hakuren. His eyes were fixed on Frau.

Athena sighed and returned her gaze to the fountain which sat majestically in the middle of the courtyard.

What appeared before her now seemed to catch her off guard. A purple head that wasn't there earlier now bobbed up and down in the water. She walked forward and set her hand on her head gently, "Lazet, where's Castor?" She asked.

The mermaid shook her head sadly, indicating that she did not know where the good bishop was.

Athena sighed; she was at a loss for words. That's when she remembered Frau's words. She turned and scolded him, "Frau, you said that he was here! Well, if he's not here, then where is he?"

Frau sighed and said, "I guess he left, the little twerp."

Athena slapped him gently, "Don't call Bishop Castor a twerp."

Frau grumbled something under his breath and walked over to the fountain.

He leaned down, "Did you see where he went?" At this, the mermaid smiled and nodded enthusiastically.

She pointed toward the main gate at the front of the church. "Did they leave the grounds?" Frau questioned.

"Did who leave the grounds?" A familiar voice said behind them.

Frau recognized that voice, "Castor!" He yelled.

Castor stepped ominously out of the shadows and smiled that hundred watt smile of his. Behind him, Labrador followed slowly. He also always seemed to be smiling.

Athena sighed with relief, "Thank goodness you're here! We were just looking for you. Where's Teito?"

Castor looked at her curiously, "Isn't he with you?"

Athena flinched. There was an awkward silence. "No, Frau said that he saw him with you earlier." They all looked toward Frau.

Frau frowned, "I wasn't lying! I know what I saw. Don't you try to deny it, Castor!"

Labrador and Castor laughed, "Don't fly off the handle, now. I'm not saying that he wasn't with me. It's just that he told me he was going to go find Hakuren. And then he left without saying another word to me. Come to think of it, he seemed a bit out of it when I was talking with him." Castor pondered.

He looked towards Labrador. The small bishop frowned and walked over to the fountain. He held a small flower in his hand, "The flowers are dismal. There's a dark aura surrounding them." He said darkly.

* * *

**FFF. Should I continue with this or not?**

**I have the time, but the question is, do I have the motivation?**

**Do YOU know where he went? Oooh. **


	2. Maintenant, comment le trouver?

The search lasted well into the night. Hakuren, Athena, Frau, Castor, and Labrador all searched the walls of the Barsburg Church up and down. Unfortunately, there was no sign of the small brunette.

"Don't panic." Castor reassured them. "Well, we have good reason to!" Athena fired back. "You'd think he would show up by now! Where do you think he went?" Her voice seemed to trail off.

"I don't know." Hakuren said quietly as he pet the pink fur ball that laid atop his shoulder. Mikage whined silently and hopped over into Athena's arms.

"There's nothing we can do." Frau's voice rang out against the silence forming between the group.

All eyes turned to him. "What do you mean?" Hakuren retorted. Frau's piercing blue eyes met Hakuren's violet ones. They had a look of determination in them.

The bishop sighed, "I mean we can't search for him all night. He's obviously not here. We can't go out and look for him. We might as well just wait it out and stay here until he decides to come back."

Hakuren's glare deepened. "If that's what you want to do, then fine. You can sit here and do nothing while Teito may be out there dying!"

"He's not dying!" Frau yelled. "You're just overreacting."

Hakuren turned away. He didn't want to face Frau. He didn't want to face any of them anymore. All he wanted was to find Teito.

He turned and bolted for the front gate. "Hakuren!" Castor yelled as he started after the boy.

Frau grabbed his arm, balking him, "Don't. Let him find out on his own." He said as he turned and watched the boy disappear beyond the enormous gate. Castor relaxed in Frau's arms.

He looked at the blond bishop with disdain. "Great. Look what you've gotten us into this time."

Frau took offense to that, "What do you mean by that!" He growled.

Castor pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, "Never mind." He said.

He then turned and motioned for Labrador to follow him. "You don't really care for him at all, do you?" Castor said menacingly before disappearing with Labrador into the shadows of the church.

Frau heard him, but decided to pay him no mind. Athena seemed to be the only one left with Frau.

"Everyone's gone." She remarked solemnly. "What was your first clue?" Frau replied sarcastically.

She didn't reply. Instead she took Mikage and walked silently out of the courtyard.

Frau made sure she was out of earshot before he let out a loud groan and sunk down onto the fountain. He buried his face in his hands and sighed. "Why did he have to go and get himself lost? The brat." He said silently to himself.

He stayed in that position for a while before he suddenly felt a poking finger in his back. He whipped around and found Lazet tugging on his robes sadly. Her amethyst eyes were filled with tears.

Frau smiled softly and ruffled her hair, "Don't worry. We'll find him." He reassured her.

The mermaid smiled and nodded her head enthusiastically. She then turned and dove under the water, spraying Frau in the process.

The blond stood and tried to shake himself dry. He mumbled something under his breath before finally retreating to his room for the night.

-------------Elsewhere---------------

"Teito!" Hakuren's screams echoed throughout the vast forest surrounding the seventh district.

He had ran a good distance away from the church, and although he wouldn't admit it to himself, he wasn't sure if he could find his way back alone. However, he wasn't going to return alone.

He was positive that he was going to find Teito and return with him. But as time passed, and his cries became more strained and hoarse, his hopes of finding his friend were diminishing indefinitely.

He finally came to a large oak tree in the middle of the forest and stopped to catch his breath.

He had been running for hours, and still no sign of Teito. He sank down onto the ground and sighed; a stuffy cry getting caught in his throat.

He felt his eyes start sting with the fresh tears that were starting to form. He let them fall. Right now, he didn't care. He didn't care about anyone. All he cared about was Teito. What he would give to see his best friend once more! To see his smiling face.

These comforting thoughts of Teito eventually lulled the small blond boy to sleep.

* * *

**Short chapter is short.**

**Well, what did you expect? :'D**

**I am well aware that this story is getting off to a slow start. Please bear with me!  
**

**I was originally not going to continue this at all. So there.**

**I had to keep pushing my French homework back to classes like Physics and Choir so I could work on this during Seminar.**

**Once I stop having French homework, I might try a little harder. ]=  
**

**OH! Thank you to all who reviewed the first chapter! I'm glad you all like it so far. C:  
**


	3. Pourquoi Pas?

The next day came and went. As did the next. And the next. And even the one after that. However, nobody had heard back from Hakuren. Or Teito.

Everyone was getting antsy. Impatient. Scared. Something like this had never happened before. They didn't know how to handle the situation.

Every day Castor suggested sending out search party for them, but Frau always rejected the idea. As of late, Frau seemed to be more reserved. He wasn't as fun, according to the nuns.

"There's nothing wrong with me." The blond bishop would always say once questioned on his strange behavior. Then he would turn and walk away, saying nothing more.

"Something is obviously wrong with him." Labrador commented one day when they had gotten the same response to the same question. Why they insisted upon asking him everyday, they were not quite sure. However, they continued asking and continued getting the same response.

"Yes, and there's something awry with this whole situation in general." Castor replied. Violet eyes turned and rested on the bespectacled bishop. "How so?"

Castor turned away and looked toward the main gate, "Teito's collar." He stated blandly.

Labrador drew in a quick breath, "That's right, I almost forgot. If Teito and Frau don't see each other for 48 hours, then..." His voice trailed off.

Castor shook his head, "That is what's supposed to happen. However, I severely doubt that Teito's laying dead somewhere right now." He turned back to the smaller bishop, "I believe that there is some foul play involved here."

"You don't think the military is involved again, do you?" The smaller bishop questioned hesitantly. Castor sighed, "As much as I don't want to admit it, I'm afraid that may be the case this time."

"Since the collar belongs to the military, they could have easily disabled it, making them the prime suspects for this kidnapping, if you could even call it that." Frau stepped out from behind a large stone pillar, startling the two bishops. "How is that, am I in the ball park yet?"

Castor stared wide-eyed at him, "How long have you been there?" He questioned the blond. Frau shrugged nonchalantly, "Long enough."

Both Labrador and Castor noticed that his words were slurred slightly. "Frau, have you been drinking?" Castor asked, the genuine concern in his voice starting to make itself known.

Frau hesitated briefly before he finally responded with a gruff "No." He then turned around and proceeded to walk back towards the courtyard.

However, he did not get far before he started to teeter off balance. Castor and Labrador ran over and helped keep him steady. "You imbecile." Castor commented. "You're drunk."

Frau glared at him, "I am not, you four-eyed freak!" He barked. Labrador sighed, "You were always a mean drunk, Frau." He commented.

Frau turned his gaze to Labrador, but didn't say anything. Instead he let his head fall on Castor's shoulders, "When is he coming home?" His voice was nearly unheard by the rusty haired bishop.

Castor truly felt sorry for Frau. The blond himself may not have noticed his growing connection with the small brunette, but everyone else had.

Castor was brought back from his train of thought by Frau's light snoring against his shoulders. He heaved up Frau's entire right side on his shoulder, leaving the left side to Labrador, "Come on, let's get him back to bed."

Labrador nodded and heaved up his left side as the two bishops dragged the blond back to his room.

~~~

Hakuren woke in a daze. He sat up groggily and rubbed his eyes. He tried to balance his weight on his frail arms. He sat back against the tree that had just provided him with a makeshift bed for the night.

He rubbed his temples, annoyed. "What the hell am I doing? Do I seriously think I'm going to find Teito all by myself?" He said to himself. He sighed and rested his head in his hands.

He was about to drift off into sleep again when he heard a familiar squeak in the distance. He looked up and saw nothing in the dark forest. He had no idea what time it was.

He thought his mind was beginning to play tricks on him, and decided to ignore whatever it was. When he heard the same squeak again, this time a bit louder, he stood up quickly.

"Who's there?" He called out into the nothingness. He looked around fruitlessly. He was blinded by the darkness and could see absolutely nothing.

He squinted harder and at last saw something moving towards him. It was rather small and....pink?

He gasped when he realized what, or who, it was. The small Fyulong ran into Hakuren's arms, nearly knocking him off balance. "Burupya!"

Hakuren held the small dragon out at arm's length, "What are you doing here, Mikage?" The dragon only responded with a bright "Burupya!" Hakuren sighed once again, "That's right, you can't really talk, can you?"

"Aw, now that's not nice."

Hakuren drew in a sharp breath. Whose voice was that just now?

He turned around quickly and was nearly knocked off his feet. The sight before him was astonishing.

Standing before him was a beautiful boy. His sandy blond hair wafted in the silent breeze. His soft honey eyes were filled with love and tenderness. There was a scar on his right cheek. His smile was heartwarming.

Somehow, Hakuren felt like he knew this boy. That's when it hit him.

No, it couldn't be. Never in a million years. And yet...

He returned his gaze back to the pink Fyulong, who simply squeaked and jumped onto the shoulders of the shining boy.

The boy nuzzled the dragon and laughed silently. He then looked at Hakuren warmly, "It's nice to finally meet you, Hakuren. I know all about your family, but I've heard that you're different."

Hakuren could only nod dumbly. Was this really Mikage?

"Hopefully you're nothing like your annoying cousin, Shuuri." He giggled.

"Right...no." He said quietly. He had forgotten that Teito had gone to school with Shuuri. And with Mikage.

Mikage held out his hand, "Well, just standing around isn't going to help us find Teito, right?"

Hakuren stared at him.

"Are you going to help me?"

Hakuren looked at the glowing hand hesitantly. He honestly couldn't believe what was happening right now.

He lifted his arm slowly. He reached for the hand and simply phased right through it. He gasped silently.

Mikage simply smiled, "Then it's a deal."

* * *

**Another short chapter! Sorry!**

Please please please bear with me! I graduate high school in less than thirty days and everything is stressful at the moment! AGH!

Anyway. Drunk!Frau makes me giggle. It was kind of a last minute idea, but I liked it, so I kept it.

Also the whole Mikage and Hakuren thing was TOTALLY intentional. I've always wondered what it would be like if they ever met.

THEY'D BE BFF'S FOR SURE. HUR HUR.


	4. Juste un rêve?

_Pure White. _

_Everywhere. Everything._

_Frau looked around him, and saw nothing._

_"Where the hell am I?" He asked himself out loud. His voice reverberated against the invisible walls around him._

_He looked around again._

_Suddenly, he saw something in his peripheral vision. He whipped around and saw a small blob appear before him._

_The blob had no face. Only a devilish grin plastered across it's non-existent face._

_"Who are you?" Frau questioned. The grin grew wider. "Who do you think I am?" It said._

_Frau didn't recognize the voice. It sounded like hell was coming straight through its vocal chords._

_Frau shrugged, "How the hell should I know?"_

_The blob took a step toward him, "Oh Frau, you disappoint me." It said smugly._

_Frau took a step back, keeping his distance from the blob. "What do you want?" He questioned nervously._

_The blob let out a horrendous laugh. Frau flinched. This was starting to get creepy._

_"If you can't tell by my voice..." The blob started, the change in pitch starting to become evident to the blond._

_"Then I guess you'll just have to see my face." By this time, the blob's voice had changed into something more recognizable._

_Frau thought long and hard. "Wait...I know who you are!" He yelled._

_He took a step forward and swung at the blob with a clenched fist, which the blob dodged easily._

_"You remember now?" The voice said as its face began to shift and transform into its familiar form that Frau remembered all too well._

_"Bastien." Frau said simply._

_The cloudy eyed bishop grinned with fake sincerity at the sound of his name being uttered by his favorite former student._

_"Ah yes, there we go." He said contently._

_"What do you want?" Frau repeated, the annoyance in his voice starting to make itself known._

_Bastien laughed again, this time lighter than before. "What do you think I want?" Was his reply._

_Frau glowered at the man, "Stop with your reverse psychology bullshit." He said through gritted teeth._

_"Alright then Frau, let me ask you something." Bastien said as he took a few more steps toward Frau._

_This time, Frau didn't move._

_Bastien gently grazed Frau's cheek with the back of his hand, "Do you know who's important to you?"_

_Blue eyes met silver ones. "What do you mean?" He replied, feigning impotence._

_Bastien chuckled, "You know what I mean. Don't you remember what I told you?"_

_Frau looked away, "No." He said bluntly._

_"Of course you don't." Bastien replied, a hint of sarcasm gracing his tone._

_"Turn around, Frau." Bastien instructed gently._

_Frau did as he was told. To his surprise, another blob appeared before him._

_It, too, was faceless. Frau stared at it, "Is this some kind of joke?" He asked the older bishop over his shoulder._

_Bastien sighed and walked forward. He stood next to Frau, "Think Frau. What did I just ask you?"_

_Frau racked his brain for the memory of a few seconds ago. "You asked who was important to me."_

_Bastien nodded his head lightly, "Yes, now focus. Focus on the most important person to you. If you do it correctly, their form should appear before you."_

_"What does this have to do with anything?" Frau snapped suddenly. This was starting to piss him off._

_"Just do it." Bastien commanded, the fake smile never leaving his pale face._

_Frau closed his eyes and focused. Memories of his friends and family flashed through his mind quickly. Everyone up until the Raggs war had meant the world to him._

_There were so many people. How could he choose? There was Bastien himself._

_While he hadn't made the right choice betraying the church in the way that he did, he had still sculpted Frau and made him into the man he was today._

_There was also Castor and Labrador. His most trusted sidekicks, as he liked to refer to them as. They were all one of the seven ghosts. Zehel, Feist, and Profe. They had bonds that could never be severed._

_Frau's mind went blank and he opened his eyes. The blob began to transform._

_Out of all the people that had gone through Frau's mind, the one that appeared before him now was the last person he expected._

_He was now staring down at a pair of emerald eyes that were staring back up at him._

_The boy's chocolate brown hair tousled lightly with a look of nothingness gracing his slightly tan face._

_The boy's name seemed to escape Frau for some reason. He searched his memory inside and out, but could not think of the boy's name to save his life._

_"This is the most important person to me?" Frau asked hesitantly. He looked at Bastien, who just smiled back at him in reply._

_Frau looked back toward the boy. He was frowning and standing slightly slouched over._

_The blond noticed the boy's slouch growing with each passing second. It was like the boy was falling in slow motion._

_Frau gasped and lunged for the boy. However, Frau succeeded in catching merely nothing but air._

_Frau looked disbelievingly at his hands, "Wha..?" Bastien merely laughed._

_Frau's fists clenched tightly, "What the hell is going on!?" He yelled back at Bastien._

_The taller bishop strode over to where Frau was kneeling on the ground. "I see, it all makes sense now. Thank you, Frau. You have given me what I need to know."_

_Just as he turned to leave, Frau grabbed hold of his robes. Bastien looked back at him, a smug expression gracing his once placid face. "Yes?"_

_"What exactly does this mean?" He pleaded, desperate for an answer._

_Bastien turned and pulled loose of Frau's grip, "It means you will not be able to save him."_

* * *

**lololol. This didn't mean to turn out like a dream chapter. It just sort of did.**

**And yes, if you haven't guessed yet, it is his dream.**

**Oh Frau, how could you have forgotten his name? For shame.**

**In other news, I got a 1 on my singing solo at regionals last weekend.**

**Which means I have to go to state. Which means I'll be busier than frick.**

**Again, please bear with me! Oh, and reviews would make my life complete. C:**_  
_


	5. Vraiment?

The two blond boys continued to walk through the damp forest together. Though dark, Mikage seemed to radiate a light that shone the way for the two.

Hakuren didn't question why Mikage was there. He had a feeling he knew why.

He turned and looked over his shoulder. Mikage was following silently behind, the same sincere smile plastered on his smooth face.

Hakuren stopped and turned around suddenly. Mikage stopped on a dime. "What is it?" He questioned softly.

Hakuren simply stared at him. Why had he stopped? He wasn't quite sure.

Mikage's grin widened, "If we don't keep moving, we'll never find Teito." He said as he swiftly moved past Hakuren to continue walking.

Hakuren turned back around and watched as the boy's light dissipated with each step he took. He sighed; he wasn't going to get any answers out of the spirit right now. He quickly ran to catch up with the boy.

Once he had caught up with Mikage, he slowed down and walked right next to him. Every once in a while he would steal a glance up at the boy.

It was at these moments that he noticed how truly beautiful he was. His soft hair seemed to fall gracefully over his honey eyes that shone out against their dark surroundings.

Mikage always felt the violet eyes fall upon him, but never returned their gaze. He simply let Hakuren look. His focus right now was Teito.

"Where exactly are we going?" Hakuren asked after an awkward silence began to form between the two. Mikage simply smiled.

"Well, think about it this way. Where's the one place Teito might be, besides the church?" Hakuren thought about it. And thought. And thought.

"I don't know." He said finally. Mikage turned his brown eyes upon the smaller blond. "Well, I'll show you then."

Hakuren's face flushed. He never expected Mikage to be this soft yet sly.

He believed that Mikage's smile was fake, and that beneath his warm exterior was a scheming boy plotting for revenge against the one who took his life.

He didn't trust him. And yet, he felt compelled to. He couldn't bring himself to say anything to him.

This was Teito's best friend. Mikage meant the world to Teito; and Teito meant the world to Hakuren. It was a long chain reaction that Hakuren was too far in to get out of.

So he kept his mouth shut. And he let the spirit lead him farther into the forest.

Frau woke with a start.

He sat up quickly and pulled his knees up to his chest. Where the hell was he?

He looked around and recognized the organized mess that was his room.

The sharp pain in his backside meant that he had somehow ended up on the floor.

He rested his chin in his hands, "What happened last night?" He asked himself quietly.

He look around once more and found nothing different about his room. He sighed and got up slowly, using the nearby desk as support.

He felt weak, his head was throbbing, and he felt like vomiting. Must be a hangover, he mused.

He threw on his robes haphazardly and meandered out into the courtyard. There seemed to be an influx of people there this morning. Or afternoon. He never really bothered to check the time before he left.

Awesome. He didn't really feel like dealing with anyone today, especially not the bishop applicants.

And yet, to his dismay, he couldn't go a day without getting bombarded with questions.

As if on cue, Ouida and Liam came running up to him, arms flailing about, screaming, "Hey, Bishop Frau! We want to ask you something!"

Frau sighed and put on his happy face. He might as well get through this with a smile. "What is it, boys?" He asked softly.

The boys stopped directly in front of the blond bishop. "Wow, you're acting a lot calmer today, Bishop Frau." Liam noted.

Frau laughed lightly and said, "Oh, come on. When am I ever not calm?"

"Every day." Ouida interjected quickly. Frau shot him a quick glare, but quickly returned his gaze back to the smaller brother.

"What was your question?" Frau asked the child.

Liam started to fiddle with his thumbs, "Well...It's just, we were wondering..." His voice trailed off.

Frau looked at him curiously, "...Yes?" He egged.

Liam lowered his eyes and started to rock back on forth on his feet.

"We were just wondering if you've found Teito yet."

Frau froze. His entire body tensed with the mere mention of that name. He looked around and noticed all the applicants staring at him.

Had they put these boys up to asking him this? Were they all really that concerned?

Frau shrugged, "Why should I care?" He said simply. "I'm not the brat's caretaker."

Ouida snickered at this. Frau glared daggers at him, "Something funny?" He growled.

Ouida looked up at him and grinned, "You're such a liar, Bishop Frau."

Frau couldn't think of a snappy reply before Ouida continued, "We've all seen the way you act towards Teito. It's so painfully obvious to the rest of us, so of course you wouldn't notice your own actions."

Frau scoffed, "What exactly are you getting at, kid?"

Ouida's grin grew wider, "It doesn't take a scientist to know that you constantly flirt with the kid every chance you get."

Frau's face grew warm, "W-What the hell do you mean!?" He snapped angrily.

Ouida started purring like a kitten. This was making his day.

"You know it's true. Don't deny it. Of course, who can blame you? Teito _is_ a rare jewel, after all. Yes, he's certainly the _fairest _ one of all."

Frau had had enough of this. He ignored Ouida's comments and proceeded to storm off toward the gardens. Maybe Labrador could help ease his mind.

Sure enough, Frau found the small bishop in the garden. Tending to his roses like always. Frau sighed, this guy was hopeless.

He approached the smaller bishop cautiously from behind. He was trying to be sneaky.

"Is something bothering you, Bishop Frau?" Labrador said slyly, without even turning around.

"Damn." Frau stated bluntly.

"You're worried about Teito, aren't you?" Labrador continued as if Frau hadn't even voiced his frustration.

At this, Frau stiffened again. Everyone was accusing of him of actually _caring_ for the damn brat. He wondered if he really was oblivious to everything going on around him.

He shook his head quickly to rid himself of the thought. That was nonsense. He knew exactly what was going on around him at any given time. Always. Of course.

Labrador finally turned around to face him, interrupting his little internal monologue.

Frau's eyes met Labrador's. Violet with a sense of determination in them.

"If you truly wish to save Teito, you must take action. Simply doing nothing will bring you nothing. One must work and strive for the ones they love." The small bishop lectured.

One word stuck out in Frau's mind. "Love?"

Labrador simply smiled and returned his attention back to his roses.

Frau rubbed the back of his head angrily. Apparently there was no getting around this one.

He turned quickly and ran out of the garden.

* * *

**So yeah. This chapter was a bit weird. Nothing happened, and that's my fault as the author.  
Give me a break! I've never done this before. D:**

**Anyway. Since my Seminar and TA times have been freeing up, I've been able to work on this and my other story a bit more every day.  
But like I said, with less than thirty days till my high school graduation, I'm a bit under pressure over here.**

**The good news is I passed my Senior Exit Interview, which means that I'm guaranteed to graduate. Buahaha.**

**I promise that things will really get going in the next chapter. ;D**  
**(Anyone else remember Ouida and Liam? I loved them.)**


	6. Rendevouz

"Here we are." Mikage said suddenly. Hakuren looked up and gasped.

What appeared in front of them was a sight to behold, indeed.

"Where the hell are we?" Hakuren asked in disbelief as he looked around in awe at the hawkziles that shot out over their heads.

"The Barsburg Military Academy." Mikage stated. He took another step forward. Hakuren flinched and raced to follow him.

"Why do you think Teito would be here? Why would he willingly return to a place that he hated?" Hakuren said out loud, although the thought was really meant to be internal.

A sob caught in Mikage's throat. Luckily, Hakuren didn't seem to notice. Mikage said nothing and continued onwards.

Hakuren sighed again. Once he found Teito, he would be happy to never see this boy again.

Once at the gate, Mikage pressed himself up against the wall and peeked around the corner through the large iron bars separating them from the main school.

Hakuren positioned himself on the opposite side of the gate and glance around the corner as well. To his surprise, there were no guards patrolling the main yard as he had envisioned.

Not so much as he had begun to ponder this thought had Mikage already cracked open the gate and the iron bars were slowly sliding inward. Hakuren gaped, "W-What the..."

Mikage looked at him, "Come on." He said and ran inside. Hakuren questioned the spirit internally once more, but eventually followed.

Something hit Hakuren just as they strolled casually up to the large glass doors leading into the main lobby of the academy, "Am I the only who can see you?"

Mikage looked back at him and smiled, "Of course, silly." He then turned his attention back to the doors.

Hakuren was fuming. If they got caught, of course he would be the only one to get in trouble. Since, you know, the other was kind of dead at the moment.

He cursed Mikage under his breath, but eventually followed the taller blond inside.

"Just act natural. You don't stick out as much as you think you do." Mikage reassured the small bishop-to-be.

Hakuren glared at him through violet slits, "Says you. At least you look semi-normal here. Well, you would if anyone could see you." His voice was barely above a whisper.

Mikage snickered to himself. Hakuren did not like this at all. Mikage looked at him with those soft honey eyes of his, "Just look at yourself."

Hakuren was a little confused at Mikage's request, but fulfilled it anyway. What he saw when he looked down at himself made him jump and gasp audibly.

He twisted his hips to see if it was a perfect fit. It was. "Where the hell did this come from?" He asked the spirit as he began to mess with the military jacket that seemed to be choking him at the moment.

Mikage smiled, "I have my ways. It's not like I'm completely useless." Mikage then turned and motioned for Hakuren to follow him deeper into the lobby.

Hakuren was truly impressed with Mikage, but his respect for the spirit quickly died down when he noticed that the taller blond was not waiting for him as he continued to walk down the hallway peacefully.

Hakuren resisted the urge to shout at him, for fear of seeming crazy, and ran to catch up.

Fortunately for Hakuren, the students passing by seemed to care less about him, and thus ignored him. Hakuren let out a silent sigh of relief.

The main hall came into view and Mikage seemed to speed up a bit. Hakuren jogged to keep up with the spirit.

"What do you think you're doing here, Hakuren?" A shrill voice lashed out against Hakuren's ears. It was God awful, and Hakuren could recognize it anywhere.

He turned around slowly to find his cousin Shuuri staring daggers at him. "None of your business, Shuuri. Just leave me alone." He said as turned back around to take his leave.

"I know you're looking for Teito." Shuuri's voice was filled with a sort of hate and determination that Hakuren had never heard before.

Hakuren froze and turned around once more. He was getting dizzy from going around in circles so much. "How did you know?" He asked quizzically.

Shuuri lowered his head, "Don't underestimate me, Hakuren. Don't think that since I haven't seen you in a few years that I haven't been keeping up with your family. After all, they _are_ part of the prestigious Oak family."

Hakuren looked curiously at him. He took a few steps toward his cousin and stopped when he was right in front of him. His cousin was a bit shorter than he was, but not by a lot.

Hakuren took his cousin's head in his hands and raised it so he was looking into his eyes.

Shuuri's sky blue eyes were filled with so many emotions that Hakuren was having a hard time figuring out what exactly his cousin was feeling.

However, one emotion prevailed. Tears; the tell-tale sign that Shuuri actually had a soul. "Shuuri, I didn't know you cared for Teito." Hakuren said gently, still cradling his cousin's head in his hands.

Shuuri seemed to regain his composure and drew away from Hakuren, "It's not like that! I just hate Ayanami, is all."

"Ayanami!" Mikage yelled suddenly. Hakuren turned to the spirit. He had forgotten that Mikage was accompanying him. Mikage's gaze was fierce as he glared at Shuuri.

Hakuren turned back toward Shuuri, who was now staring straight into Hakuren's violet eyes.

"Look, I heard what happened to Mikage. I know that I treated them both badly, but nobody deserves that... Nobody deserves to die like that!" Shuuri's hands were clenched tightly into fists that seemed to have a life of their own.

Hakuren studied his cousin carefully. "So, does that mean you're going to help me?" He asked finally.

Shuuri's face shifted immediately to an uncomfortable expression. Hakuren simply waited; he was well aware of his cousin's pride. Shuuri would rather eat a shoe than admit that he actually cared for another human being.

Shuuri, however, kept his gaze focused on his cousin and nodded hesitantly.

Hakuren smiled at his cousin and grabbed his hand. He turned and started to drag him quickly through the halls.

Surprisingly, when Hakuren passed Mikage, the spirit didn't make any movement to follow. Hakuren stopped suddenly, leading his cousin to crash into him. Hakuren stood firm and looked at the spirit.

"Are you coming, Mikage?" Hakuren asked, ignoring his cousin's confused glare. The spirit looked at him; his honey eyes glazed over with what seemed to be pure anger.

His aura had completely shifted, and Hakuren mentally slapped himself for not noticing it earlier when he had yelled Ayanami's name.

"...No one." Mikage's voice was barely above a whisper. Hakuren had to strain to hear it. "What?" He asked.

Mikage turned to him and yelled, "No one's allowed to love Teito except me! No one!"

Even Shuuri flinched at the changed atmosphere that had taken over the hallway. Hakuren looked at him sternly. "That's quite selfish, isn't it?" He said coolly.

Mikage glared at him, "I knew the moment I set foot in that blasted church that you guys were no good. You bishops thought that you could help Teito. The only thing Teito needed was me!

When I died, I put on that million watt smile that Teito always loved. But inside, I was reeling. I was so fucking angry that it had to end like that!

I was going to help Teito escape and then we would have gone somewhere far away from this blasted academy. Just the two of us. I kept reassuring him every night to not look for revenge.

I knew that Ayanami had taken part of my soul, and I didn't care. All I cared about was Teito.  
I promised God that I would help my friend. I would watch over him and protect him. That's when I was reincarnated and found by that bastard bishop. And you..."

Mikage stepped toward Hakuren, who instinctively took a step back. Although Shuuri was unable to see Mikage, he could feel his presence. He decided to stay out of this one for now.

"Remember Burupya? Yes, I was always making a home of your shoulder. I had to get close to you, to see what you were really like. You seem to care for Teito a lot. Too much, even..."

At this, Hakuren interrupted furiously, "Teito doesn't just belong to you! He's not some sort of property that you can own!"

Mikage let out a horrendous laugh, "You have no idea." He said grimly.

But before Hakuren could retort, a shrill buzzer sounded throughout the hall.

All three boys looked around, but only Hakuren was confused, "What the hell is that?"

Shuuri looked at him, "It's the emergency alarm."

* * *

**Derp.**

**Sorry I haven't uploaded anything in a while. D:**

**Once again, I blame it on Graduation.**

**Also, I love Shuuri. He may have been a bitch to Teito, but I couldn't help but love him.**

**He was one of those characters that you just love to hate.**

**Anyways...I graduate this Sunday! Yay!**


	7. Presque

The two boys and the spirit ran through the hallways quickly. They were heading toward the source of the noise. It was apparently coming from the main lobby of the building.

They burst through the large doors hastily and found the rest of the students gathered there. They all turned toward the boys. They looked confused. Only Hakuren, Mikage, and Shuuri were freaking out.

Once they saw the calm expressions on their friends' faces, they began to relax. "I think it was only a drill." Shuuri said after somewhat regaining his composure. Hakuren glared at his cousin.

"Students," A booming voice reverberated against the large ornate walls. All heads turned towards the main doors. A large man, followed by five other officers, made his way gracefully to the front of the pack.

The man's silver hair glinted in the sunlight that was pouring in from the enormous windows surrounding the lobby. Hakuren studied this man carefully; something didn't feel right.

He glanced over at Shuuri. His cousin had tensed up and was completely rigid. His face went back to being emotionless. His eyes were like empty shells.

He turned toward Mikage. The blond had the face of a wild wolf. His teeth were showing. His hands were clenched tightly. His eyes held nothing but pure rage.

Hakuren pieced together what was happening in his head. "Is that Ayanami?" He whispered to his cousin. Shuuri didn't answer audibly. He simply nodded his head.

Hakuren looked back toward the captain, who had finally made his way to the front of the student body and was now beginning to address them.

"There is nothing to be afraid of. This was simply a drill. If there had been a real emergency, troops would have been deployed. We will always alert you in case of an actual emergency. Now that you know what to do in the event of a real emergency, you may be released at this time. That is all."

Ayanami was a man of few words, Hakuren guessed. He and his lackeys exited quickly and the students began to disperse. "Well, that was uneventful." Hakuren commented dryly.

A hand tugged on Hakuren's sleeve. It was Shuuri's, "We need to follow him. Now." His voice was tense; urgent. Hakuren glanced over at Mikage, who was currently too busy digging his nails into his palms to even notice the other blond.

Hakuren nodded toward his cousin, and the three of them set off to follow the captain. The captain seemed to have retreated into the recesses of a dark hallway secluded in the back corner of the room.

Hakuren stopped briefly to assess the situation that they were about to get themselves into. Were they about to risk their lives to save their friend? Yes.

Was it worth it? Hell yeah.

Shuuri looked back at his cousin worriedly, "You coming?" He called back at him. Hakuren shook his head and nodded. He jogged to catch up with Shuuri and Mikage.

~~~

It felt good to feel the wind in his hair again.

Frau zoomed through the setting sky on his hawkzile nimbly. His spirits were high as he was totally sure of himself. He was going to get Teito back; there was no doubt about that.

It was all a matter of time. He also guessed that he should look for Hakuren while he was there. The boy was smart; it was also only a matter of time before the blond figured out where Teito was.

"The military is so predictable." Frau commented aloud to himself. He speeded up as he saw the academy come into view across the horizon.

"Teito…please be okay." Frau said quietly as he began to descend toward the outskirts of the academy. He didn't want to be noticed this early on. That would be dumb.

He hid his hawkzile carefully behind some conveniently placed bushes and started towards the west wall of the looming building. He snuck up quietly and pressed himself up against the wall tightly.

He listened carefully for any sounds coming from the other side of the wall. When he was sure it was clear on the other side, he leapt up a nearby tree and jumped over the tall wall that was blocking the thick forest from the elite academy.

He landed in the middle of a training field which, thankfully, was empty at the moment. Frau walked slowly toward the main building as he tried to take in as much of his surroundings now as he could.

"Fancy" was the only word that came to mind. There was no doubt that the academy was up to date with the latest battle machinery and technology. They seemed to be prepared for anything.

Frau shuddered at the thought of fighting the Barsburg Empire again. The Raggs Kingdom was long gone, and yet the Empire still acted as though an enemy still lurked nearby.

Frau brushed the thought of war aside and focused on the task at hand. He was leaving here with Teito. That much he was sure of. And maybe Hakuren, if he was lucky.

He approached the main building. He looked up and found random hawkziles zooming past overhead. He sighed and snuck up to the side of the main building. That's when he realized something.

"Damn, I stick out like a sore thumb." He said aloud quietly. He knew that he needed a disguise if he even hoped to get past the front door. Luck seemed to be on his side, however, as a guard happened to pass by him at that moment.

Using everything that society had taught him on the streets, he jumped the guy clumsily. They both went crashing to the ground as Frau struggled to strip the defenseless man. Tired of listening to the man try to yell for help, Frau finally socked him in the face. The guard promptly passed out and the blonde bishop sighed again.

Once he had taken possession of the guard's clothes, and quickly disposed of his old clothes and the guard, he stood up and walked around the corner casually. He was heading for the main lobby of the central building; the most likely place he thought Teito would be.

He knew that by the end of this whole ordeal, he was going to have a major migraine.

* * *

**I...I have no words to express how sorry I am for the lateness of this chapter. ;3;  
Now that I'm graduated, I've become more flexible with my schedule...  
JUST KIDDING. I'm busier than ever with all this college shiz.**

...Also I've been highly distracted lately.  
With family, Robot Unicorn Attack, the community theater...but mostly Robot Unicorn Attack. 8D

Anyways, enjoy this lame filler chapter!  
I promise things will really heat up in the next chapter. ;D


	8. Alors

Shuuri lead the way as the older blond and the spirit followed closely behind. As soon as they reached the point where the light spilling from the front lobby stopped and the darkness pooling out from the hallway began, Shuuri froze.

Hakuren had to stop on a dime to prevent himself from toppling onto his cousin. Shuuri turned around violently and shushed him. Hakuren glared at him for a split second, but soon turned his attention back to the ominous hallway.

It had an eerie aura. Not that Hakuren was surprised. He didn't expect this journey to be all sunshine and rainbows. When he was sure that Shuuri wasn't going to make the first move, he went ahead and took the initiative. Shuuri flinched when he noticed his cousin slither by him silently.

"What are you doing?" Shuuri hissed, his voice barely above a whisper. Hakuren stopped and craned his neck back to look at his cousin. He was confused; isn't this what Shuuri had wanted? For him to make the first move and the rest would follow suite?

Hakuren's eyes darted over to Mikage for a brief second. The blond spirit seemed to have calmed down a bit, but Hakuren could still sense how tense the boy was. He glanced back over to Shuuri. His cousin looked frightened.

Hakuren turned his whole body around. "Are we going to find Teito? Or are we just going to stand here and do nothing?" He whispered angrily. Shuuri visibly tensed at the sound of his cousin's harsh tone. He could tell Hakuren was adament on retreiving Teito. No matter what the cost.

Shuuri sighed and lowered his gaze defeatedly, "I'm sorry." He said. Hakuren walked over to his cousin and took his hands in his. "We can do this. But in order for this to succeed, I need your help. Can you promise me? Can you promise that you'll do everything you can in your power to help rescue Teito?"

Shuuri raised his head. He looked at Hakuren; he simply stared back expectantly. Shuuri glanced away quickly and felt his face start to heat up, "I promise." He said. His voice was so quiet that Hakuren had to strain to hear, but that proved to be all the answer he needed.

Hakuren smiled at his cousin and let go of his hands, "Well alright then, let's go." As soon as Hakuren turned around to head back into the hallway, something ran past them fast enough that all they could make out was a blurry blob. Without thinking, Shuuri yelled out "Hey!"

The blob stopped abruptly. As soon as it did, its form started to take shape. And Hakuren recognized the shape immediately. His face lit up as he ran toward the person. "Frau!" He yelled, not caring who heard anymore. He felt that as long as Frau was there, they were safe.

Frau eyed Hakuren suspiciously before relaxing his shoulders a little and waving at the small bishop. "Hey." He said blankly before his gaze drifted towards the abandoned Oak at the back of the pack. "Who's the kid?" Frau asked, pointing back at Shuuri.

Hakuren's smile broadened, "That's my cousin, Shuuri. He's agreed to help us find Teito." Frau stared at Shuuri like a person judging a piece of meat. He looked him over one last time before returning his gaze to Hakuren. "Alright, well let's get going. We don't have any time to waste."

Frau didn't bother waiting around for the siblings to follow. He took off down the hallway at a lightning fast pace. Hakuren barely had enough time to register what was happening. He ran back and quickly grabbed his cousin's hand. He tore off down the hallway, dragging his cousin forcefully behind him while praying that Mikage followed suite.

The hallway seemed to have no end. Doors upon doors upon doors greeted the blonds. But none seemed to hold Teito. Mikage explained that he would be able to feel Teito's aura once they were nearing him. Hakuren understood, but didn't reley the message to either Shuuri or Frau.

After what seemed like hours, they finally came to the end of the hallway. It was a dead end. Two sets of double doors were found on both sides of the group. "Teito's in one of these two rooms." Mikage said. "But I'm not sure which one."

As Hakuren was the only one who could hear Mikage, he hesitated in telling Shuuri and Frau. They would no doubtedly question his source. He couldn't very well tell them that he was talking to a ghost. He went with his gut instinct and slowly stalked over to the door on their right.

"I...I think Teito's in here." He said, his voice cracking a little out of nervousness. Frau stared at the door quizzically. He wasn't about to question Hakuren's judgement. He had a keener sense of direction, for one thing. And Frau knew that Hakuren loved Teito very dearly. So Frau kept his mouth shut and crept closer to the door. Shuuri stood back patiently and watched as Frau and Hakuren listened for any source of life coming from the other side of the doors.

Hakuren stood up straight and came to a conclusion, "I don't hear anything." Frau stood up and scratched the back of his neck, "Well then, there's only one way to go about this." He took a step back and, without warning anyone, kicked in the door with enough force to send it flying a good five feet inwards.

Hakuren nearly blew a gasket, "What the hell are you doing!" He yelled, totally forgetting where they were. Shuuri slapped his forehead. "Idiot." He mumbled under his breath. "We don't have time to be nice!" Frau yelled as he ran into the room blindly. Hakuren ran after him, followed closely by Shuuri and Mikage.

The room was dimly lit. Only a sole lamp in the center of the room lit the dusty floor. There was no furniture of any kind. No shelves, no desks, nothing of the sort. However, something did catch Frau's eye. It was a pile of something, from what he could make out in the dim light. It was laid out directly underneath the lamp.

The lamp started to flicker. It was eerie, to say the least. But then again, what wasn't in this hell hole? Frau pondered this as he slowly stalked over to the pile. The closer he got to the pile, however, the more familiar it became.

Frau began to make out the all too familiar locks of chocolate hair falling over the delicate, almost childlike, face. His eyes were closed; he seemed to be in a deep slumber. Hakuren crept up behind Frau without his noticing. Once Hakuren had recognized the same features, he started to feel the sting of fresh tears poking at the corners of his eyes.

"Teito..." Hakuren managed between choked sobs. Teito's eyes fluttered open at the soft mention of his name. He groaned and tried to prop himself up on his elbows. However, he soon found that he had absolutely no strength and his elbows buckled underneath him. The sound of Teito's body thudding against the floor snapped Hakuren back to reality. He ran over to his friend and knelt down beside him.

He cradled the young boy in his arms as if he were made of precious porcelain. Teito groaned at the contact, but was relieved to feel it all the same. After checking Teito over for any injuries, which thankfully he had none, Hakuren glanced back over at the rest of his party.

Frau and Shuuri looked just as pleased and relieved as he did. However, Mikage simply stood in the background. Curious as to why the boy wouldn't step forward, he addressed him, by name, for the first time since he had joined up with his friends. "Mikage! Don't you want to see Teito?"

Frau and Shuuri exchanged confused glances, but decided it best not to question the boy. At the sound of his friend's name, Teito perked up immediately. "What? W-Where? Where's Mikage?" He asked frantically. Hakuren looked sadly at Teito, recalling that only he could see the spirit. Hakuren opened his mouth to start explaining the situation, but was curtly interrupted by a dark voice.

"You're finally here." 

* * *

**Huzzah! I'm finally moved into my dorm and classes have started!  
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who favorited/reviewed this story! So far, all of the reviews for this story have been positive!  
You don't know how happy that makes me. ;3;  
It means a lot to know that people actually read the crap that comes out of my head!  
****Honestly though, I think I have a permanent case of word diarrhea. Srsly.**

On another note, I recently decided to re-watch the series and found out that the setting for my story is nothing but moot.  
I had no idea that the military academy was actually a floating building and not somewhere with a forest surrounding it!  
Oh well, just pretend this is an AU. ;D

So, now that my computer is up and running with the university's network, I should be able to juggle finishing this story with all my homework and a possible job!  
We'll see~  
Reviews are loved! :3 


	9. Ne jamais oublier

All heads turned towards the source of the dark sound. An ominous shadow standing in the doorway started it's way over to where Teito lay. The chocolate haired boy made no move to stand up. He merely lay there in Hakuren's arms. The dim light fell upon the shadow's face once he neared. The all-too familiar silver locks fell gracefully over his violet daggers, gently caressing his childish face that hid so much hate.

Teito glared up at the man, "Ayanami, is this what you wanted? To get us all in the same room and finish us off quickly? Well, it won't work!" Hakuren shushed Teito as he saw the look in the Captain's eyes; humor. An evil smile crept onto the older man's face.

"Why, whatever made you think that? I'm not that shallow, you know." His voice made shivers run down Hakuren's spine. He could see now why the church considered him such a threat. Just his mere presence was enough to scare Hakuren into submission. Teito eyed Ayanami like a hawk as he began to circle the group. Hakuren made sure to glance around every now and then just to make sure that none of his subordinates were hiding in the shadows somewhere.

"Leave them alone." Teito said suddenly. All eyes turned to the small boy as he finally gained enough strength to free himself from Hakuren's arms and stand on his own two feet. "I'm the one you want. Let them go and I'll do whatever you say." The group drew in a collective gasp. "No!" Frau shouted. Teito looked over to the bishop; wanting so badly to reassure him but not finding the right words.

Frau's eyes narrowed, "I'm not letting you give in to this maniac. Teito, you're coming back with us." Teito's face lightened at the bishop's determination. "I know what I'm getting myself into, Frau. It was nice of you to come find me, but I feel that I need to stay here." Hakuren stood up suddenly, "But why? Why would you knowingly throw yourself into the fire when you know you're just going to get burned?"

Teito smiled sadly at his friend, "Hakuren, you have to trust me on this." Hakuren's eyes widened, then narrowed. "I won't let you!" He threw himself at Teito and wrapped his arms tightly around his friend's neck. He buried his face into Teito's chocolate hair, the warm scent of his friend flooding his nostrils and reminding him of better days.

However, to Hakuren's surprise, Teito didn't hug him back. Hakuren stood back and placed his hands firmly on Teito's shoulders. "You don't know what you're doing. Please, listen to us. Hear us out. We only want what's best for you." Teito shook his head, his eyes slowly losing their piercing vibrancy, "And I want what's best for you." He said simply, shaking off Hakuren's hands and turning to face Ayanami.

Hakuren's arms dropped loosely to his side. He took a step back, trying to steady himself. He didn't know why Teito was acting this way. Was he trying to protect them from Ayanami? Didn't he realize that he didn't have to be the hero? He couldn't take it anymore. He threw his head back and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Mikage!"

All eyes fell upon the small blond. Teito froze at the sound of his lost friend's name. He turned around slowly and glared at Hakuren. "Where is Mikage? Is he here? Tell me!" The sharpness in Teito's tone made Hakuren flinch. He also felt a twinge of jealousy at how upset Teito was becoming at the mention of the spirit's name. He brushed his own selfish feelings aside and turned towards the spirit, who had simply been standing by silently the entire time watching the events unfold in front of him

Mikage's face was twisted into a horrendous frown. Hakuren didn't think it was possible for one's mouth to turn down that much. "What do you want me to do?" The spirit finally said. Hakuren glared at him, "If you can make yourself known to me then you can do the same for Teito! He needs you right now." Mikage's face softened a bit. "It's not that easy, you see."

Teito was by Hakuren's side in an instant at the prospect of seeing his friend again. "Mikage? Are you there? Mikage!" Teito was shouting in the spirit's general direction. Hakuren eyed his friend sadly, taking pity on the poor boy who had been through so much. The blond shook his head and turned his attention back to the spirit. He was genuinely surprised to see that Mikage's face had turned more gentle as he approached his best friend.

"Hakuren, please relay a message to Teito for me." Mikage said suddenly. Hakuren flinched at Mikage's strange request, but agreed once he understood the implied message; there was no possible way for Mikage to make himself known to Teito. Hakuren alone was the only person able to see and converse with the spirit for reasons beyond his control. "Teito, Mikage has something he would like to say to you."

Teito's head snapped to glare at Hakuren angrily, "Why can't he tell me himself!" He turned back towards the unseen spirit, eyes searching frustratingly for any sign of his friend in front of him. Hakuren let out an exasperated sigh and set his hand on Teito's shoulders gently, "Teito, you can't see him because I'm the only one who can. My guess is he could only make himself known to one person and he chose me because he knew how much I cared for you and wanted to rescue you."

Teito's shoulders visibly relaxed and his face darkened, "I see. Fine then, what does he have to say?" Hakuren truly felt sorry for Teito, but he had no time to waste now on trivial matters. He turned to Mikage, motioning for him to continue. Mikage smiled slightly and caressed Teito's face with gloved hands, even though he knew Teito would feel nothing.

"Teito, you have no idea how much I worry about you. I loved you with all my heart. I knew that someday we would be happy together. You don't know how much I regret not running away with you that night I helped you escape the academy. Maybe things would've turned out differently. But, that's not what fate had in store for us. For you. I know these people care about you greatly, and I would gladly put your life in their hands. I have come to terms with my death. You need to do so as well. I will forever be by your side. Please, let these people take care of you. I trust them completely."

Hakuren relayed the message with a smile on his face. So it turned out that Mikage didn't hate him after all. That was somewhat of a relief for the blond. Frau stood with Shuuri, watching as Hakuren informed Teito of Mikage's message; the bishop always keeping a close eye on Ayanami. The captain merely stood aside and let them speak.

Teito's eyes grew wide as Hakuren finished relaying the heartfelt message. "M-Mikage? I...I mean..." The young boy was at a loss for words. He fought the oncoming tears and nodded his head fiercely. "Right! I will continue to fight by their side!" He turned to Hakuren and smiled. Hakuren returned the smile and turned to face Ayanami.

"Now then, we'll be taking Teito with us." Hakuren stated and took Teito's hand in his own. He started to lead him toward the door, past Ayanami. Frau motioned for Shuuri to follow and the group started to make their way towards where the large door used to stand before Frau completely obliterated it.

However, when they heard Ayanami chuckle darkly, the group froze. Hakuren cranked his head around and saw Ayanami staring at them creepily. "And just how do you suppose you're going to go about doing that?" He stated. Suddenly, five soldiers appeared in the doorway armed with weapons that didn't look like standard military weaponry. Hakuren gasped as the soldiers charged at the group.

* * *

**(lololol Sorry for the cliffhanger XD)  
SO. MUCH. DRAMA. (aru)**

UGHHHH. I need to finish this story! It's eating away at my sooooooul~  
Any suggestions about how to end it would be fantastic. Just saying. :3

Anyways, at least it's almost done! Yay! 


	10. Finalement

Hakuren didn't have time to think. His feet froze as he saw the approaching soldiers; weapons at the ready. He couldn't move. He couldn't think. His mind urged him to run, but his body remained still. "Hakuren!" Teito yelled out to his friend. "Move!" He urged the young blond, but his efforts were in vain.

A young blond soldier ran ahead of the group, aiming his perfectly manicured sword at Hakuren; a sinister smile played upon his lips. But before the blade could befall the young bishop, strong hands were suddenly on his waist and, before he could even register what was happening, violently pushed him to the side.

The force was enough to knock Hakuren off his feet. He fell ungracefully to the ground as he stared up at the owner of the lifesaving hands. Frau's face met the blond's gaze; eyes cold as steel. "Take Teito and get out of here!" Frau growled lowly. It took a minute for the older bishop's words to sink in, but when they did Hakuren wasted no time regaining his feet.

He ran over to where Teito was just beginning to fight off a soldier; a tall man with dark sunglasses. There seemed to be an everlasting maniacal smiled plastered on his flawless face. The sound of his friend's voice distracted Teito just long enough for the soldier to get an edge in.

The blade slid in easily, almost too easily considering where it pierced the young boy. Time seemed to freeze all around them. Soldiers and bishops alike stopped to gaze. Stare in awe at what caught everyone, even Ayanami, off guard. Teito coughed horrendously, crimson running slowly down his face and staining his front.

The soldier's face hardened. He watched with mild interest as the boy slumped down to his knees, taking the blade inside his stomach with him with a sickening squish. Once again, Hakuren couldn't move. His mind was screaming at him. "Move! Do something!" All his body allowed him to do was to watch, in horror, as his best friend slipped away from him.

The bespectacled soldier moved to grab his blade, eying it with disgust at the amount of blood on it; almost like he had never seen this amount of blood before. He turned to face his commanding officer, "Well Ayanami?" The silver-haired soldier glared angrily at him. The soldier flinched, "What! What did I do this time?" He whined.

Ayanami gave a huff, but soon regained his composure and turned away. "The boy is of no use to us in this state." He said gruffly. The soldier stiffened, "What?" He asked incredulously. Ayanami turned to his subordinate, "Hyuuga, you screwed up." He stated bluntly.

The soldier called Hyuuga shrugged his soldiers, "I guess I just got caught up in the moment." He laughed lightly and turned to face the intruders. He looked them over, amused with their ragged appearances. He chuckled lightly, "Looks like you guys have been through Hell and back."

None answered him. This made the soldier sigh loudly, "Yeah, whatever, no fraternizing with the enemy and all that jazz. I get it. Eh, I guess you get to keep him. For now." The smirk on his face only grew wider as he strode over to Ayanami's side.

"So, are we seriously going to just let them go?" He asked his leader quietly. Ayanami simply grinned, "Yes. They've already been quite the help for us. Let them be. But make sure they realize that this is far from over." And with that, the commander walked briskly out of the room, leaving behind confused soldiers and even more confused intruders.

"...He's not serious, is he?" Frau asked incredulously. Hyuuga shrugged his shoulders lightly, "Eh, I'm not one to question Aya-tan's orders." He yawned and waved his hand like he was shooing a fly near his face. "I guess you can leave now." He turned quickly on his heel and headed for the door. The baffled soldiers followed suit too. Soon, the group was left alone.

"What the hell just happened?" Frau asked incredulously. Hakuren could do nothing but shrug his shoulders lightly. He, too, was incredibly confused at this strange turn of events. Although, at the same time, he was extremely relieved. He suddenly was reminded of his best friend. He turned on his heel and yelled out "Teito!" The blond found his cousin cradling his friend's head in his lap.

Hakuren couldn't bring himself to look upon Teito's stomach, knowing full well the extent of the injury he sustained. He stumbled over to his cousin and fell to his knees beside him. His mouth seemed to run dry as the words that he wanted to say so very badly just didn't seem to come out. "Labrador will be able to take care of that." Frau's deep voice rang out from behind him. Hakuren whipped his head around to find the tall bishop looming over him, staring at Teito's impaled body.

Hakuren eyed him warily. The look on Frau's face was impassive, but Hakuren could see something deeper. He could see the pain hidden behind his azure orbs. But he didn't question his elder. Instead he helped Frau gently take Teito into his arms. Shuuri remained on the floor, feeling powerless to help.

Hakuren walked silently over to his cousin and took his hands in his own. He brought them up to his face and rubbed them against his cheek gingerly, "Thank you." He whispered, voice hoarse and raspy. Shuuri's sky blue eyes revealed all his feelings; he had no need to voice them.

Hakuren held on to his cousin's hands for just a few lingering seconds before letting them go reluctantly to rejoin his friends. He glanced back over his shoulder to find Shuuri still standing there, smiling the first true smile he had probably ever seen his cousin make.

Hakuren inwardly thanked his cousin once more before finally returning to Frau's side. He noticed Frau gazing at Teito's face, almost longingly. Hakuren felt his mouth twitch upwards, "Ready to go?" He said suddenly, snapping Frau out of his self-induced daze. "Uh, yeah. Let's hurry." He said as he motioned for Hakuren to follow as he ran out of the door, taking special care not to hurt Teito any more than he already was.

Hakuren knew that he saw something behind Frau's impassive gaze. Something was there. He just couldn't put his finger on it. He decided not to push it as the group hurried towards the exit. Hopefully when they got back to the church, everything would work itself out. Maybe Frau would finally open up a bit and stop bottling up his emotions when it came to Teito. Only time could tell.

* * *

**Please excuse this lame ending. I apologize deeply, but college has been kicking my butt lately. I just haven't had as much time to actually sit and ponder on this story like I did in high school. I'm on my way to completing a year and a half of college in two semesters while balancing a job and paying the rent. So yeah, times are tough. If I'm ever given the motivation, I might rewrite the ending. But for now, it is what it is. And there shall be no more. I'd like to thank all who read this derpy story of mine and hope to see you in the future! =]**


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